LocalData is a cloud-based mapping platform that helps cities and communities make data-driven decisions by capturing and visualizing street-level information in real time.
Louder is a crowdfunded advertising platform that allows users to donate small amounts to amplify news and information that is important to them.
Musey connects fans with the online and offline spaces of artists and makers via mobile.
Stringr is a platform that helps media organizations request, find, license, and acquire multimedia content from freelancers and the crowd.
Each Matter Three team will receive a $50,000 investment and will work side-by-side in the Matter co-working space in San Francisco’s SoMa district. The ventures are diverse, but they all share Matter’s mission to “change media for good.”
“Matter is proving that there is a market for socially-driven startups and that technology can address and solve social issues,” said Alicia Rouault, founder and CEO of LocalData, which started in 2012 as a Code for America project with the city of Detroit.
Founder and CEO of Louder Colin Mutcher added: “The community and the spirit of Matter and that a public media institution like KQED is investing in it proves that there is strong alignment with our values as a company. Matter is the only accelerator that made sense for us.”
The five-month program will kick off on May 20 with an intensive boot camp, followed by a regular series of design reviews, mentoring sessions, and educational workshops. Mentors, speakers and participants in the process include some of the most influential minds working in technology and media today. The process will culminate in Demo Days in San Francisco and New York City for a select group of investors, media executives, mentors, and members of the Matter community.
“It’s amazing how many talented, scrappy, driven entrepreneurs are building ventures that have the potential to define the future landscape of media that matters,” said Corey Ford, managing partner of Matter. “These six teams inspire us and we are excited to invite them into our growing community.”
“Matter fuses public media values with the methods and mindsets of Silicon Valley,” said KQED President John Boland. “The KQED teams gain so much from interacting with each Matter class and we are thrilled to be a part of this process that seeks to create ventures that have a meaningful and positive impact on the media landscape.”
“Matter’s focus on driving media innovation by supporting stand-out startups and connecting them with the open market continues to gain momentum,” said Michael Maness, Knight Foundation vice president for journalism and media innovation. “We look forward to seeing what the new class brings and gaining insights into fresh technology and business models in media.”
Matter co-founder and CEO of PRX Jake Shapiro added, “We are seeing a surge of both startup and investor interest in media, and Matter is the place where it all comes together, driven by a shared mission to change media for good.”
For more information, photos and past coverage of Matter startups from the first two classes, please visit the Matter media center at http://matter.vc/press/.
